Q) Is there a halachic problem to go boating together with one’s wife who is a niddah?
A) The Beis Yosef (YD 195) quotes the Terumas Hadeshen who discusses travelling with one’s wife when she is a niddah. The Terumas Hadeshen concludes that if the trip is done for pleasure purposes “it is not clear that such a trip is permissible”.
The Darkei Moshe (YD 195) writes that it is prohibited to travel together with one’s wife who is a niddah if travelling for pleasure purposes. The prohibition applies even if the husband sits in the front of the vehicle and his wife sits in the back [or vice versa].
The Remo (195:5) rules that one may not travel with one’s wife when she is a niddah in one wagon or boat – if the trip is done for pleasure purposes. However, one may travel with his wife while she is a niddah if the trip is for business purposes – even if the couple are travelling alone, as long as they take care to sit in a way that ensures that they will not touch one another.
It seems clear from the Remo that travelling together on a pleasure trip with one’s wife who is a niddah is forbidden – irrespective and independent of sitting together on one bench, or of touching one another. Therefore, a couple should also not travel together in a small boat, or individual car of an amusement park ride – if they are alone. This prohibition applies even if they sit on two separate seats. However, if someone else sits in between the couple they may travel together.
When defining a pleasure trip, we find in the Poskim that not only is a pleasure trip itself forbidden (e.g. going together for a drive in the countryside) but even travelling to a vacation (e.g. driving to the airport to embark on a holiday) is also included in this prohibition.
If there is a purpose to the trip, for example shopping, business, to attend a wedding and suchlike, this trip is not defined as a pleasure trip and is therefore permissible to travel together with one’s wife who is a niddah.